Keystone Children and Family Services - Comprehensive community based services for children and families living in Central Pennsylvania.

Keystone Children & Family Services

Services

Keystone Children and Family Services serves all of Dauphin County. Therapeutic Foster Care serves Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Perry, York, and Adams Counties.

Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC): Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC), sometimes referred to as Host Home Services, supports children to live in a family environment in the community. Children who may not be able to remain with their natural families join foster families and receive the support necessary to experience a typical childhood. Each child is placed with a foster family for anywhere from a few days to several years, and many of the children served in foster care go on to be adopted. Foster families receive training and extensive support from Keystone. Therapeutic Foster Care is a rich and rewarding experience for both the child and the family.
Family Preservation and Reunification Services: Family Preservation is an intensive in-home, 4-6 week intervention designed to support families in crisis, and to make removal of children from their home a last resort. The primary goal is to reduce imminent risk of abuse and neglect and avoid unnecessary placement via limited and measurable goals and objectives. Therapeutic techniques are based on Behavioral-Cognitive Model of IFPS. Practitioners provide assessment, counseling, education, skill building, advocacy, networking, transportation, and concrete services with flex dollars (rent, food, clothing, etc.) Practitioners carry a caseload of 2 families and provide at least 10-15 hours of face-to-face contact with the family per week during the first 4 weeks of service.; Family Reunification service is an-in-home, 3-5 month intervention designed to reunify families in which children have been living out of their homes and to stabilize adoptive families at risk of disruption. The primary goal is to reasonably ensure the safety of children within the home of the identified viable resource by reducing or eliminating risks that increase the probability of permanency. Therapeutic techniques are based on Behavioral-Cognitive theory and practice. Program values and characteristics are adapted from the Homebuilder's Model of IFPS. Practitioners provide assessment, counseling, education, skill building, advocacy networking, transportation, and concrete services with flex dollars (rent, food, clothing, etc.). Practitioners carry a caseload of 4-5 families and provide at least 3-5 hours of face-to-face contact with the family per week.; The combined programs of Family Preservation and Re-unification are usually funded by the County Offices for Children Youth and Families.
Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS): BHRS services are provided to children who demonstrate a wide variety of behavioral problems and they may carry a wide range of operating diagnoses. The guiding principle of this program is to provide services that "wraparound" the needs of a child. A team of Behavioral Specialist Consultants, Mobile Therapists and Therapeutic Support Staff work in a coordinated way to deal with all the patterns of behavior that cause difficulties for a child. Services may also be provided for thefamilies in the home, schools or community. Services within the BHRS system of care are paid for by CBHNP.
Family-Based Mental Health Services: This is a team delivered service, rendered in the home and community, by two mental health workers assigned to each family. The program is designed to integrate mental health treatment, family support services, and casework so that families may continue to care or their children and adolescents while they remain at home.. Staff of this program is available 24 hours/day, seven days a week to respond to the complex needs of the family served. The primary eligibility requirement for entry into the program is that the identified client has been diagnosed as having a serious emotional or mental illness that puts them at risk for psychiatric hospitalization or an out-of-home placement.
Behavior Intervention Services: Behavior Intervention serves individuals who carry a mental retardation diagnosis and are displaying disruptive behaviors. This program works with children above 3 years of age but may if requested work with a wide range of ages including adults. The presenting behavior may be related to parenting, development, or a physical health problem. This service addresses the needs of many individuals who have a diagnoses on the Autism Spectrum.; The Behavioral Intervention Program also provides Consultation and Education services to child care facilities. These services are available to any licensed Dauphin County childcare or preschool education facility, and include short/long term staff training, teacher certification curricula, and individual programming for children who are demonstrating behavior problems within the facility. This program also provides parent training to teen parents enrolled in the Tri-Community Action Program.
Student Assistance Program: Student Assistance Program (SAP) provides an array of support services in school and community settings. Mental Health Consultants serve as liaisons to area middle, junior high, and high school Student Assistance teams and provide consultation regarding mental health issues to school personnel, students, families, and community members. Student Assistance teams consist of school personnel and agency liaisons trained to identify, assess, and refer students at risk of drug, alcohol, and mental health issues. Yearlong services are directed toward prevention, intervention, and postvention (support and service in the event of a crisis involving the school).
Early Intervention Services (EIS): EIS offers a fully integrated system of developmental, educational and behavioral services. Since 1928, our team of early intervention professionals has offered quality services that draw on the experience of the parent organization, Keystone Human Services with values rooted in inclusion and full participation of children and families in their community. KC&FS professionals utilize evidenced-based practices for children with autism, physical and intellectual disabilities, developmental and behavior challenges. KC&FS is the only early intervention provider that employs coaches and therapists trained in the use of the Competent Learner Model, a curriculum endorsed by the PA Department of Education for use with young children with autism and other related developmental delays.
Comprehensive Autism Evaluations: A diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) provides guidance for intervention and paves the way for prompt access to services and treatment approaches that are effective for children with autism. The best practice guidelines in place across the country (including Pennsylvania) state that the complexity of the diagnostic evaluation makes a multidisciplinary team the preferred vehicle for achieving appropriate diagnosis and recommendations for intervention. Because an evaluation involves multiple activities and multiple areas of expertise, professionals from numerous disciplines are invariably part of the process. At Keystone Children and Family Services a psychologist, speech pathologist, and an occupational therapist participate in each child’s evaluation.
Competent Learner Model: Keystone Children and Family Services (KC&FS) is committed to utilizing evidenced based practices when providing services to children with autism or similar needs. The Keystone therapists providing services to children with autism are participating in the KC&FS Autism Training Track. Some of our therapists have been trained as Coaches, trained to coach other therapists in the use of the Competent Learner Model (CLM). We offer Special Instruction, Speech Therapy, and Occupation Therapy services utilizing staff that have completed the CLM units of study and the Coaches necessary to ensure that each team supporting a child and family are providing the specifically designed services in a well coordinated manner.
Special Instruction: Through play, infants, toddlers, and young children explore their world. Play at each of these age levels differs greatly, but one common theme stands: learning through exploration. The staff of the special instruction department "play" with children to promote the development of cognitive (learning) and social/emotional skills. With exposure to various toys and activities, children are given the opportunity to learn how to interact and explore their world. These skills can help the child reach his or her full potential.; Skills from other areas of development are often incorporated in special instruction sessions. Gross motor skills may be needed to get to a desired toy or caregiver. Fine motor skills are typically required to play appropriately with a toy. Speech/Language skills are used to interact with others during play and to communicate wants and needs. Behavioral challenges are address by staff who have received training on the values and practices of Positive Behavior Supports, the research based approach for developing positive social and behavior skills.
Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapists help address eye-hand coordination skills, play skills, self-care adaptive skills such as feeding and dressing, and sensory processing including tolerance for touch and movement. The occupational therapist helps the family address these areas within family outings and activities.
Physical Therapy: Physical therapists are concerned with a child's gross motor skills and achievement of developmental milestones. Gross motor skills involve the coordinated movement of the large muscle groups to achieve functional movement. Some developmental milestones include lifting the chest off the ground while lying on the stomach, rolling over, sitting, creeping on hands and knees, walking, etc.; The therapist may use varied equipment such as ball, bolsters, walkers, etc. or may use only their hands to help the child increase his or her ability to move. The physical therapist may also evaluate the need for assistive devices (walker, crutches, braces, etc.) and will make appropriate recommendations. Once therapy has begun, the caregiver will be instructed on ways to best handle the child to improve the ability to move.
Speech-Language Therapy: Speech-language pathologists are concerned with how a child understands his world and learning to interact and communicate with others. They may assess a variety of areas such as expressive communication (e.g. use of gestures, sounds, words, sentences, etc.), receptive language (understanding of what is said), articulation (sound production), voice (pitch, quality), and fluency (flow of words). They may also assess eating and drinking skills. Once therapy has begun, the caregiver and therapist will share information that best promotes development of communication skills and /or feeding skills.
Assistive Technology Library: The Assistive Technology Library is a toy and equipment-lending program. The library is available without charge to a family who has a child with special needs ages birth through 3. Children living in Dauphin, Cumberland, or Perry Counties must be receiving services through one of the following agencies: Tri-County, Pinnacle Health's Infant Developmental Program, or Capital Area Children's Center.; The library consists of developmental toys, adapted toys, switches, and therapeutic equipment such as seats, rolls, wedges. Teachers and or therapists recommend items to borrow based on the needs identified in the child's Individualized Family Services Plan. Parental requests for items to borrow are encouraged and welcomed.

Keystone Human Services

Keystone Children & Family Services

Services